The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-06-04
A Substitute for Sugar.

lue oClSHtluC WOElu 10 just uOW III
terested in recent discovery by
which coal.tar is made into sugar.
The enterprise originated in Ger
many, but is attracting general at
tention in this country. DR.. Il. @.
Minor, who keeps posted on every
thing, was called upon to give some
facts on coal-tar sugar.
1.-THE new substitute for sugar." re-
marked DIR. Minor, lis called Sac
charine, and is really product of
coal-tar. 1t will add an additional
value to the refuse of gas-works. Its
discoverer was Fohlberg. who form
erly lived in the east, but resides at
the present time, l think, in Ham
burg.".
"Has the new substance been in
troduced to commerce ?"
"Not to any large extent, owing to
its cost, for it is worth about S12 per
pound. Yet one pound of saccharine
will sweeten ten thousand pounds of
water"
"How is it prepared for the sugar
market ?"
"The preparation used in Europe
is an admixture of glucose and dex-
trim. One pound of saccharine will
convert two thousand pounds of glu-
cose into the very best grade of ordi-
nary table sugar; that is it will re-
semble table sugar as regards sweet
ness without the nutritious qualities
of the real article"
"You don't mean to say that there
is no nutrition in saccharine. doc
tor ?"
"Yes it has little or no nutritious
property, and is merely an adulter-
ant"
ut it likely that it will be ever
used on large scale as an adulter-
ant in the United States ?"
"Of course" replied DIR. Minor,
"when the process of making the
saccharine is cheapened. would be
willing to predict that every large
gas.works in the country will be SELL
ing saccharine as a refuse principle
in the next twenty years, and that
there will be enough profit in the
business to make Illuminating gas
tor nothing; in other words, the
present gas works will be a sac
charine manufacturing establishment
while the refuse will be Illuminating
gas. Analine colors and ammonia
salts will be made under the same
roof as the coal-tar from which the
saccharine is developed"
what is the process of making
saccharine, doctor?"
"That question can be answered
better by chemist" said DIR. Minor.
"It is usual. however, to take what
is called the toluene in coal-tar and
treat this substance with phosphorus
pentachloride it is the cost of this
other article that renders the manu-
facture of saccharine so expensive.
Yet, even as expensive as is it, a
quality of sugar can now be manufac-
tured even cheaper than New Orleans
cane sugar."
"What will be the result of this
new adulterant ?"
ut will cheaper the cost of sweet
ening materials in groceries and cam
dies and will enhance the value of
real cane sugar, just as the price of
pare butter has been increased by
that vile adulteration, oleomargarine.
The working people. who now pay
q cents tax on every pound of sugar
they consume. can enjoy glucose, the
product of corn, adulterated with
saccharlne, which has no nutritious
qualities. Pure butter. pure sugar.
land pure milk will always cost a
large price, and only be within reach
of the wealthy. Why, even modern
Chicago lard is now said to be largely
made from cotton-seed OIL"
How about coffee and tea, doc
tor"
"Coffee in the berry unbrowned
and unground cannot be initiated,
but three-fourths of the ground coffee
on the market are adulterated. AS
for tea, Ceylon is row the great pro-
ducing country for cheap teas, which
are palmed off in Europe for fine
Chinese goods. Ceylon teas lack much
of the theme or active principle of
tea that is found in the genuine Hong
Kong chops"